West European Studies

What is the history of women  Has man never been civilized enough to know that a woman is equal to him  I find it disturbing to think that women may have been exploited and abused throughout the history of mankind.  I do not think it makes any difference whatsoever that the second revolution brought certain changes in European womens lives.  While it is true that urbanization and technological changes brought positive societal change in Europe during that time, the fact remains that women continue to deal with problems such as sexual harassment, gender discrimination in the workplace, lower salaries, and physical abuse in Europe today.  In fact, the problem seems never to have entirely vanished.  It does not matter that women dwelt on the question of housewifization at the time.  The fact is that human societies are being run by obnoxious patriarchs who do not wish to change the status quo, even if it appears to change for a while.  Has man never been enlightened enough to reach closure on the subject of women  
   
There have been plenty of great civilizations in the past.  Did any of them leave records indicating that man has finally reached closure on the subject of women, that is, man has come to the ultimate conclusion that women are equal to men  If certain civilizations left such records, why is it that Europe did not learn from lessons of the past  Of course, women did not have to be dehumanized as they were in European coal mines.  Why did this happen in the first place  If something stopped this from happening, could we apply the European procedure to stop dehumanization of women everywhere in the world at the same time  Could we apply this procedure in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tanzania or Egypt at this time
   
Indeed, it is strange that poor conditions of European women of the past have to be studied in depth today as though we are finally going to reach closure on the subject of women, around the world.  As Europe pretends to be a model civilization at present, I would assume that its lessons could be applied in other parts of the world as well.  However, even Europe cannot apply its lessons today, as statistics on abuse of women from around the world  including Europe, of course  continue to shock and enrage us.

Do we learn to unlearn
I am reminded of a shocking story about a Chinese woman I recently read Maxine Hong Kingstons short story, No Name Woman.  China was the greatest civilization at one point, similar to Europe today.  I believe China must have gone through periods of immense change such as the second industrial revolution in Europe.  But, I do not believe in the significance of such changes if they do not result in ultimate enlightenment of man.  In fact, considering the problems that Chinese women have to confront in the present, I find it hard to believe that China was the greatest civilization at one point.  Moreover, it is scary to suppose that Europe may eventually lose all its present knowledge about equality of the sexes  following the example of China if, in fact, China actually believed in such equality at the time it was somewhat similar to Europe today.
   
Kingstons No Name Woman begins with the narrators mother informing her about her aunts suicide and asking her to keep it as a secret.  The narrators family refuses to acknowledge the aunt as a part of their past lives.  The narrators mother nevertheless tells the story of the no name woman, namely the aunt who committed suicide.
   
The no name woman was married in 1924 in China, as part of a ceremony that celebrated many marriages at the same time.  When her husband left for work, as other husbands married during the same celebrations also left, she was expected to wait on money from him.  But, she ended up getting pregnant many years after her husbands departure.  When the baby was about to arrive, her family house was raided by angry protesting villagers.  The no name woman gave birth to her first child in a pigsty.  The following morning she was found dead with her child in the family well.  Apparently, it was suicide.
   
The narrators mother would like to warn her daughter about getting pregnant outside of marriage.  After describing such warnings, the narrator explains certain aspects of her life as a Chinese American.  She goes deeper into discussion about her aunt, too.  According to the narrator, the no name woman must have been forced into adultery.  The narrator also makes conjectures about why the no name woman was sent out of her in-laws home and whether the adulteror was one of the village raiders.
   
Some of the problems related to Chinese culture that the narrator raises include the loudness of their speech.  Yet, the narrator must wonder about the silence that her aunt must have been forced to keep.  The no name woman apparently committed suicide out of a sense of shame.  Her people could not have tolerated an adulteress among them, which is why her family house was subjected to a raid.  The fact that her family refuses to acknowledge her now that she is dead is another problem about Chinese culture that the narrator has set out to complain about.  After all, the no name woman had been subjected to oppression, according to the narrators conjecture.  Punishing the woman for the crime of another is the main complaint about Chinese culture that Kingstons story raises.

What does it mean to be the worlds greatest civilization
Is the story of the no name woman over yet  More importantly, is this story going to take place in Europe of the future, given that we never really appear to come to a conclusion on the subject of women  Of course, America is considered another great civilization like Europe, and China of the past.  The subject of women continues to echo through its workplaces and homes today.  Although everybody who speaks on gender equality makes sense, Americans do not entirely give up their belief in superiority of males.
   
Real Women Have Curves was an American movie released in the year 2002, showing how women in America continue to be socially pressured to do as others please, instead of developing and using their own minds.  What does it matter that European women were compelled to dwell on the question of housewifization through the second industrial revolution  Even the greatest civilization today has to address issues such as abuse of women, gender discrimination in the workplace, lower salaries for women, sexual harassment, etc.
   
In the film, Real Women Have Curves, Ana would like to develop her mind while her mother would like her to lose weight and get married.  Undoubtedly, it is ignorant to suppose that women must marry and raise their families if they desire to do something else instead.  But, the question remains why did Anas mother think this way during the twenty first century  It is not enough to say that traditions of patriarchy must have brainwashed her.  We have to ask why dysfunctional traditions have never been reversed.
   
Of a certainty, it may be easy for a woman to get married and be relieved of the anxieties of breadwinning.  Nevertheless, there are women in the world who have achieved great wealth for themselves without marital partners.  The fact that Ana would like to develop her mind shows that she instinctively believes in her success with or without a marital partner.  To stop Ana or another woman from achieving her goals is to violate the rights of the woman.

Conclusion
Discrimination against women in developed as well as developing countries reveals that our world cannot truly be considered civilized.  Even in the Information Age, our world as a whole is backward thinking.  It is time, therefore, to end discrimination altogether.  Women have the right to live however they choose.
   
Of course, there were people who thought this way during the second revolution in Europe, too.  But, it did not seem to matter much.  On a positive note, what if I or my classmates, friends or cousins manage to end gender discrimination around the world once and for all  What kind of a revolution would it take